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Sunday, 23 September 2012

Last night saw two friends who turned enemies for one bout, and what an encounter it was. It always had the making of an instant classic, it was a shame that it was over by round four. Both men came out strong and punches started flying very early on. Kevin Mitchell was determined to show his Boxing ability that he showed the world against Prescott, the problem he had was Ricky Burns was always going to be a tough test due to the size and power he offers.

Mitchell came out of round one on top, he landed the better of the shots and looked the more positive, but that all turned in round two when Burns hit the Londoner with a terrific straight but it was taken and soaked up. Heading into round three the crowd were pumping and Burns seemed to feed of this energy, he settled his nerves and came on much stronger, Mitchell looked happy to stand and trade punches but knew he couldn't afford to get caught with one of Burns big left shots.

After a round that saw both fighters taking quite a bit of punishment, combinations and chest pounding, it was poised going round four. Huge shots came from Burns and Mitchell tried to match but unfortunately the Scot was to strong and caught Mitchell on the chin with an incredible left hook that saw him crash to the floor. As the crowd raised to their feet so did Mitchell, but not for long. As Burns sensed the end was near he continued to unload shots and Mitchell was down again. With just under 40 seconds left Mitchell could do nothing but try and hold on to the bell, but with one second left of the round the referee had seen enough and had to step in.

Mitchell was obviously disappointed with the stoppage but so would most Boxers be, for me it was the right call and stopped any further damage caused to Mitchell. It leaves Burns in a great position for the next opponent, Scott Harrison who also picked up a win last night has confirmed he would like the winner, but Burns may just look for a bigger pay day. With Champions Demarco and Vazquez in the same division Burns may look to try and add another belt to his WBO Championship.

We may even see Burns step up to Jr Welterweight due to his size, and we know the calibre of fighters in this division. As for Mitchell he may have to start looking elsewhere in the division for another fight but with an impressive record of only two losses that shouldn't be too hard. Its great to have some great British Lightweights amongst the Division, and i think we can now say that Burns stands above them all.

Friday, 21 September 2012

Tonight sees the clash of two of Britains best lightweights as Ricky Burns puts his WBO title on the line against Londoner Kevin Mitchell. With just two years and 4 oz separating these fighters, this is shaping up to be one of the all time classics. Mitchell has lost only once in his career to Michael Katsidis and will now stand as very tough opposition for the Scotsman. Burns has two losses on his career but has stepped into the ring more times.

Mitchell has had a rough journey over the last few years since the break up of his marriage but then went on to beat John Murray and has not looked back since. For me Mitchell is the best he has ever been and Burns will find it tough to break him down. Mitchells movement and combination work seems to have improved greatly, but Burns will be fully aware of what Mitchell brings to this bout and will have a game plan of his own.

Burns was gifted the WBO belt when Juan Marquez decided to step up in weight, but he looks as if he has always been a champion. with a great mix of strength, punching power and agility Burns rightfully stands top of the tree and is defiantly the man to beat. Having the fight in his own back yard will be a huge advantage for Burns but you will be sure to hear the 1500 travelling fans of Mitchell im sure.

This match offers everything and should not be missed, it promises to be one of the best all British fights in many years. My heart tells me it will be Mitchells crowning moment, but my head tells me Burns will remain the man to beat.

Monday, 17 September 2012

This past Saturday saw an incredible Boxing display from the young Mexican, 'Canelo' Alvarez never looked troubled against Josesito Lopez. It was a very one sided affair that saw Alvarez take another step closer to that big fight he is in pursue of.

From the opening bell Alvarez found his rhythm and wasn't going to be stopped, standing strong in the middle of the ring he worked the jab and opened with some incredible combinations when Lopez gave dropped his guard. I think even the man he was due to fight originally Paul Williams looked on impressed with what he was witnessing. Victor Ortiz was also in attendance and I'm sure relived at times that it was Lopez in the ring with Alvarez and not him.

The first knock down came courtesy of an incredible left hook to the body that shook Lopez and forced him to hit the canvas and take a standing count, the fight could have been over then but luckily for Lopez he was saved by the bell. It was a familiar story as the bout continued with some unstoppable shots to the body Lopez at times could only cover up and try and find an opening. But that opening never came and as much as Lopez threw his own combos, Alvarez shrugged them off and concentrated on the task in hand, it was in round 5 with only seconds left in the round when referee Joe Cortez stepped in as he had seen enough.

It was the right decision as the fight was only ever heading in one direction. It now leaves Canelo with a few options ahead of him, all of them very big opportunities. One option is a mega fight with Miguel Cotto who himself fights in December, the other is Manny Pacquiao who is currently undecided on his opponent for later this year. Ultimately the match he wants and everyone else is crying out to see is that with P4P king Floyd Mayweather. Although right now it seems very early for that showdown its a fight that is defiantly on the cards for the future.

A special mention goes to hall of fame referee Joe Cortez who decided last night he would hang up his gear and no longer officiate another bout. It was an incredible performance by Alvarez leaving Cortez stopping his very last fight in only round 5.

Thursday, 13 September 2012

It has been confirmed that 50 cent (curtis jackson) will no longer be teaming up with Floyd Mayweather and will now be moving on to join forces with Manny Pacquiaos promotional group.
It was reported earlier this week that there was friction between The Money Team, and confrontation between Mayweather and Jackson have caused both to part ways with each other.

Jackson confirmed that they are still good friends, but he has just as much money as him and he didnt need this. It would seem that Mayweather likes no one being bigger than him and 50 was heading that way. With some great fighters already signed to the TMT label it will be interesting to see who goes where when this deal with Pacquiao is finalised.

Who will Manny Pacquiao be fighting at the end of the year, it looks to be one of three men, Miguel Cotto, a rematch with Timothy Bradley or Juan Marquez. The most likely opponent seems to be Marquez in a rematch for the fourth time, but its not necessarily the right decision. Regardless to what happened in their previous encounter, there is no way Bradley would risk losing the rematch, especially when he didn't win their first battle. Cotto would be the logical choice as he is probably the most ready, after taking on Floyd Mayweather and proving he can mix it up with the best he would no doubt cause many problems this time round for the Pacman.

I'm not as unhappy as most about the announcement of a potential fourth showdown between Pacquiao and Marquez and this is purely because of the incredible fights they have produced in the past. For me Marquez would need to win this fight and if not probably hang up his gloves, many people including Marquez himself thought he had beaten Pacquiao in two of their three fights and if he was to lose again he may feel there is no reason to continue.

I would have loved to seen a rematch with Bradley but this is simply to set the records straight as i and many others had Pacqiuao winning this fight (revenge for the Marquez encounters i guess).

Lets hope who ever the Pacquiao camp chose to take on it matches up to some of the recent fights Pacquiao has been involved in and hopefully lead him on to a bigger fight....Mayweather anyone?

Ricky Hatton is just a 'yes' away from stepping back in the ring in November and being handed a license to Box again. Hatton 33 is just awaiting a response as regards his medical tests and after meeting with the British Boxing Board of control on Wednesday is hoping all comes back positive.

Secretary of the BBBC Robert Smith confirms once the results are in, the BBBC doctors will look at the tests and they can then make their decision. Rumours have spread more and more since reports that the hitman was make a conscious effort to get fit again and lose alot of weight.

There is no conformation around who Hatton will be facing if the fight goes ahead, one things for sure he will want to forget in 2009 against Manny Pacquiao and look to get his career back on winning ways. Names like Paulie Magilinaggi and Junior Witter have been mentioned so far, but i cant see Hatton jumping straight back in such a big fight after being out of the game for a while. His Ultimate goal will be to work his way back up the Welterweight division, how far he will go is anyones guess, it will all depend on how serious he is about this come back.

Sunday, 9 September 2012

An eargerly anticipated match up between two of the finest boxers on the planet right now, Andre ward and Chad Dawson produced a great fight and answer any critics over Andre Wards ability.
It was an encounter that was scheduled at 168pds, a weight that Ward has dominated over the last few years. Dawson had to drop down from his usual light heavyweight division and this seemed to have an overall effect on him when the fight neared the end.

Dawson started off the bout great and looked to be getting the better of Ward, but Ward specializes in figuring out his opponents strengths and stopping them. This was the case here, as Ward realised fighting on the inside of Dawson would reduce his range and automatically cause a few problems for the taller man. As the fight progressed Ward took more and more control and was putting together some great combinations. It all eventually become to much for Dawson as he hit the canvas in round ten and as he rose to his feet he was asked if he was good to continue, and he simply said no.

It is another huge win Ward can add to his impressive record, he has no doubt cemented his place at the top of that weight. Much criticism over the way Ward goes in with his head when taking on his opponents still hovered over as the fight went on, there was times i watched on and thought that surely what he was doing should be stopped. But unless the official steps in he will continue to do it, and as there was no real complaint from Dawson i guess everyone was ok with it.

Yes Ward comes to spoil fights, theres no Boxer out there that hasn't once had to dig deep or change a tactic or two to pick up a win. But for every time Ward spoils a round, he produces an incredible round of skill and ability straight after. I still think a rematch with Carl Froch shouldn't be forgotten, as Froch could cause Ward problems and proved that at times. But right now, with Floyd Mayweather just coming out of prison and Manny Pacqiuao's loss to Bradley and mixed emotions over his next fight, surely this leaves Ward right at the top as the best pound for pound Boxer in the world?

Saturday, 8 September 2012

It was finally in round 9 when Tony Bellew was able to stand tall and say he had beaten the experienced Edison Miranda. A great fight overall with some terrific moments from both fighters, Bellew now takes home the WBC light heavyweight international crown and can start to push for a big pay day now.

It was always going to be a tough one for Bellew with the Experience of Miranda, a man that has taken the likes of Andre Ward over 12 rounds, but he got the job done, his performance wasn't without his moments of madness though. On many occasions Bellew had the chance to put Miranda away but instead got caught up in Miranda's 'Kidology' and walked away. With his corner, promoter and huge fan following screaming at him to go after Miranda when he had him rocked on the ropes, no one could figure out why he wasnt trying to end the fight.

But it was round nine when Bellew caught his opponent with a great combination which Left Miranda on the floor, as he rose to his feet after the nine count Miranda looked Micky Vann in the eyes and shock his head. It would seem that his age caught up with him and you could see the energy had been drained from his body, with his dirty tactics stopped very early on and not being able to out Box Bellew, Miranda had seen enough to know he wasn't going to go the distance.

Also a big win for Lee Purdy over Argentinian Gumersindo Carrasco takes him one step closer to a match up with Matthew Hatton or Kell Brook.

It was always going to go one way, and after just 4 rounds it was Vitali Klitschko that picked up the win over Manuel Charr. Unfortunately though not in the fashion Boxing fans would have liked to see, ending with a cut over the right eye of Charr the fight was waived off by the fight doctor.

The fight started slow as expected, and as Vitali found his range and worked from the jab in which he is so confident doing, it looked as if there was no way in for Charr. But as the fight started coming together Charr found a rhythm which was proving quiet a challenge for Vitali at times. With quick hand speed and sharp foot work some fans perhaps thought that Charr stood more of a chance than they gave him credit for.

But it was in round four when Charr went in for a hook missed which left the shot open for Vitali to take, and take it he did. With a great left hook of his own, Vitali caught Charr right above the right eye which instantly produced blood. The officials watched on concerned as blood poured from the face of Charr and there was no sign of it stopping. After the Doctor took a close look the fight was called off leaving Charr extremely upset.

With months of hard work and training from Charr, taking himself away to knuckle down and focus on beating Vitali, he found it hard to swallow when he was told the fight could go no further. After taking Charr's unbeaten record Vitali now has a very big decision to make, either he looks at one last fight with David Haye or he decides to hang up his gloves after an incredible career, somehow i don't think this is the last we will see of Vitali Klitschko.

Thursday, 6 September 2012

The Ricky Hatton rumours will not stop and are louder than ever since recent news has come out that Cricket Star Freddie Flintoff would be appearing on his undercard in November.
Hatton who has recently had his promotions turned down from a new agreement with Sky, will now be looking at pushing his fights through ITV and channel 5.

Flintoff has been appearing more and more in the public eye through the sport he shares a passion for, with ring walks, belt carries and TV interviews at ringside, he is no stranger to the Boxing world and looks to take it to the next level. Sitting at ringside on many occasions has perhaps led Flintoff to look further ahead and make a big move for his professional career, who next Gordan Ramsey?

I have already made my opinions clear on the Ricky Hatton situation, and the same can be said about Flintoff. I understand that every man deserves his chance to take on another sport, ask Bill Sonny Williamson the New Zealand rugby star who has recently turned his hand to pro boxing and remains unbeaten. Whether this goes ahead or not I'm still unsure, first things first, the Hitman needs to find himself a TV deal. which shouldn't be hard considering the amount of fans that follow him around.

Monday, 3 September 2012

And the big announcement from Nathan Cleverly has finally been confirmed, October 27th Motorpoint arena in Cardiff he will step up against Ukrainian Vyascheslav Uzelkov. A big disappointment from a British perspective as i was awaiting a big name announcement. The 27-2 33yr old will offer nothing more than slow punching and deteriorating stamina against the Welsh world champion.

Bernard Hopkins was the original target for Cleverlys promoter Frank Warren but after talks between the camps the agreements broke down and it would seem that Cleverly was left with no other option. I think many thought he may even look at a rematch against Tony Bellew, but i feel that Bellew at times had Cleverly rocked and the Welshman may not want that fight again any time soon.

A shame for Cleverly, as even a dominant win against Uzelkov will leave the World none the wiser to what Cleverly is really capable of. It comes at a time in his career when he should really look to be tested. I guess we will wait until next year. Hopefully the door will open to names like Dawson, Cloud and maybe Hopkins.

Sunday, 2 September 2012

David Haye seems to have moved a step closer to getting his dream fight against Vitali Klitschko. Haye recently came out from a very positive meeting with the president of the WBC, Jose Sulaiman confirmed the talks were Amicable with the former Heavyweight Champion and welcomes Haye back into the fold.

Haye, who at one point looked as if he was never going to step foot in a ring again, Dispatched fellow Brit Dereck Chisora and leaves himself in a great position to line a up a showdown with one of Heavyweight Boxing's biggest names.

For now Vitali has his sights set on Manuel Charr and will look to make quick work of him as he nears the end of an illustrious career, but will we see Haye next on the Champions list. Klitschko manager Bernd Boente agrees that Haye has put himself in a great position for a match up with Vitali, notably for next March, talks do look to have progressed very slightly with both camps, but as we have seen many times before, we wont believe it until both men are standing face to face in the ring together.